Song of Storms
by SongsofStorms
Summary: Humans have fascinated Elizabeta ever since one saved her. Despite the fact humans hunt mermaids like herself, Elizabeta sets out to prove they are not evil, and find the boy who saved her life. Full summary inside.
1. Chapter 1

**Summary:** Elizabeta always had an interest in humans ever since she was saved by one. She refuses to think that they are evil and is given the task to prove to her father that humans can care for her. The big obstacle: they must care for her as her true form, a mermaid. Disguised a human, she sets off on her quest to prove that humans can care for mermaids...and find the boy that saved her all those years ago.

**Warnings: **Mild Cursing and some dark themes

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><p><em>The ocean was clear, clearer than it had been in ages. The sun sent bright white columns down through the water, warming my skin in the light, casting a reflective glow off my green scales. It was a flawless day, perfect for swimming just a little farther than normal. I closed my eyes and felt the warm, salty water rush past my gills…<em>

_Suddenly something latched itself around the top of my tail, and something thick and heavy entangled itself in my hair and wrenched me upwards. I gurgled out something of a scream, my eyes shooting open and staring in horror at the net that had been cast over me, roughly yanking me to the surface, toward a shadowy patch of water where no light shone. I thrashed my tail around and pulled on my hair. I felt the entangled strands break from around the rope._

_But my tail wouldn't come free. The rope tore into the flesh; flecks of my scales embedded themselves in the white material and the rest sinking slowly to the ocean floor. I reached my hands down to try to remove the rope, but it only grabbed ahold of me tighter. The surface was coming closer and closer. I wrenched my tail around at all angles, pleading with all my might to break the rope or escape its grasp. But then I felt the top of my head break the surface, and the cold air stung my face. I closed my eyes and fought the ropes harder, biting down on my lip._

"_Don't thrash!" a voice implored. I ignored it and flailed my tail about, struggling against the restraining cords and to keep my gills under the surface of the water._

"_Quiet, will you? If my father hears you, he'll figure out I've got something in the net before I cut you loose!"_

_I opened my eyes at those words. Cut me loose? A human boy was standing over the edge of a wooden boat, his red eyes staring into mine, a slightly panicked look on his face, with a fiery determination stamping out the panic. I'd never seen anyone with eyes that bloody color before._

"_If you keep moving, I might accidently hurt you, and that wouldn't be awesome," the white-haired boy said. "So don't make a sound or move while I cut the ropes."_

_I nodded numbly as the pale boy pulled out a knife from his brown belt and began sawing at the ropes. He broke through the first two easily, but the closer he got to my flesh, the more entangled I seemed to be._

"_Son, why are you leaning over the side of the boat?"_

"_Uh…there's some totally unawesome stuff floating over here, Father. Nothing to see."_

"_Then why are you even looking at it? Be careful and don't fall in."_

"_Yeah, yeah. I know." The boy sawed vigorously at the ropes again, careful not to hit my flesh. I watched earnestly, trying hard to keep quiet and still. "Once I finish cutting you out, you need to swim like hell. Get out of here so my father doesn't get you." Footsteps began approaching the side of the boat._

"_What the hell is so interesting over the edge of the boat?"_

_The last rope snapped and I was free from the clutches of the ropes. "Thank you," I whispered before diving underneath the water silently, working my rubbed-raw tail as fast as I could, rushing away from the humans and their nets._

"Eliza, wake up!"

I opened my eyes blearily and blinked at my sister, who was floating next to my bed, smiling brightly at me. She was pulling her dark hair into pigtails and wrapping a red ribbon around each. "Father said that breakfast was soon. Bella just came to wake us up."

I groaned and rolled over. Mornings were terrible. The sun hadn't been up for very long, so the water was still cold, and it was still rather dark and murky for the first few hours before the sun truly shone throughout the whole depths of the water.

And I'd had that dream again, of all things. It just kept coming back; no matter how many times I tried to, I still couldn't forget the human boy who'd saved my life from the fishing net. Who was he, and what was he doing now? Why did he even set me free?

"Don't go back to sleep on me, Elizabeta!" Michelle chimed, smacking my tail with her blue one.

"All right, all right, I'll get up. Stop abusing me," I muttered to her and pushed myself off the bed, swimming over to the vanity and pulling a comb through my long brown hair. In the mirror behind me, I could see my youngest sister, Lili, entering, shyly fingering the green ribbon in her short blonde hair.

"Good morning," she piped sweetly. I smiled. Lili was just too frigging adorable.

Michelle swam over to her, her shell necklace jingling as she did so. Michelle gently straightened Lili's ribbon before beckoning me to come down to breakfast with the rest of them. I looked at the golden ring around my left bicep, the two ends connected by a lightning bolt, the symbol of my reign and proving I was of royal blood. It was irremovable, so impersonating me was nearly impossible.

The dining hall in our underwater palace was beautiful, one had to admit. The ceilings were tall and the top was clear, and if the water was clear enough, you could almost see all the way to the surface on a clear day. We lived close underneath a dangerous row of cliffs and underwater rocks, so ships avoided this area for fear of sinking. We were safe from humans set out to capture us for our tails in this area. For centuries, ever since humans discovered us, we've been hunted for our tails. If a human eats the tail of a mermaid, he or she will become immortal. Fortune seekers, pirates, royalty, and other types of humans search far and wide to find us. Apparently, the highest glory in the human world would be the capture a mermaid.

Which makes it all the more puzzling why that boy let me go eleven years ago.

I sat down at the long table, Michelle on my right side. The tall, empty chair at the head of the table belonged to my father, the king. Lili slid into the seat across from Michelle, and my sister Bella took her seat across from me with a pleasant "good morning." Down and across the table, my close friend Feliciano was bouncing up and down in his chair, waving enthusiastically at me and calling my name. I waved back and beamed brightly at him while his twin brother, Lovino, snapped at him to "shut the hell up and put your ass in the seat." Lovino wasn't pleasant in the mornings. Actually, he wasn't pleasant at any time during the day.

My father came in then, his red scales flashing brightly in the morning sun. The whole table chorused "Your Highness" respectfully and rose, sitting back down a moment after he did. The servants all flew out from the kitchens with a loud clinking of dishes as they set in front of us our breakfast. A bowl of brown kelp…and a bowl of green seaweed.

I stared at the meal and sighed internally. Those of us who had been to the surface and had knowledge of humans had told me all about the wonderful, vibrantly colored meals the humans ate. Sometimes, they even had multiple courses and it wasn't, well, slimy. Seaweed's great and all, but eating something colored not green or brown? And eating something different everyday? I wished I could see that for myself.

My father ate quickly as he usually did, and then rose to place a kiss on each of our heads before leaving to work on whatever kingly affairs he worked on. I was glad I didn't have to sit through boring meetings day in and day out like Bella did, as the heir to the throne. I had the freedom to what I pleased. Well, within reason. Father kept a close eye on me ever since I was caught and came back covered in rope burns; I can still see the faint outline of one on my tail where some of the scales rubbed off and didn't completely heal. I wasn't allowed to go to the surface; but that didn't mean I listened. It was a simple matter of sneaking out of the palace, around the guards, and then swimming quickly away until I could still see the palace, but they couldn't tell it was me, and then pop my head up and be back before the next meal.

It was simple and foolproof, just the way I liked my rule breaking.

After breakfast was over and Bella had disappeared to the throne room – she'd bust me in a heartbeat if she knew where I was going, she's overprotective like that – I made my move. Casually, I swam toward the palace gates. No guards. Perfect. Just another couple meters…

"Elizabeta, where are you going?"

I stopped and turned around slowly to find Michelle starting at me, her head cocked to one side, stroking her pet fish absentmindedly.

"Oh, just for a swim around the bazar. Maybe the gardens and the library too. Don't you have class today?" I'd finished last year, and thank goodness for that. The history of merfolk (ahem, _sea beings_, according to the teacher. Some old man with a stick up his tail end) was dreadfully boring and made me want to hit myself in the head with something large. I might have been dead if I was still taking it now.

"Oh, you're right, I do!" Michelle's eyebrows shot up when she realized she'd forgotten. "Have fun on your swim, Eliza!" She kicked her tail hard and sped off in the direction of the Royal Academy. I sighed, watching the bubbles float to the surface. I hated lying to Michelle. She told me everything, and she thought I told her everything. But I kept my fascination with the human world a secret. I never told her I'd spend hours in the record halls pouring over everything about humans and how they lived. I never told her about my stolen trips to the surface. I never told her I wanted to see what it was like to human sometimes. I kept that locked in my chest. Humans are the devil incarnate in the eyes of everyone else here. But they can't be made of evil. That's impossible. Every being has to have kindness in them. Like the boy who saved my life.

The guards were still on the other side of the wall, but I darted out the gates before they could see me. I swam for several minutes, halting and turning around to glance back at the palace before I went out of the water. It was a distant blob. I'd gone a little farther than I usually did, but that was fine. Maybe today I'd get a better look at humans. I was probably closer to that village I saw in the distance from my usual spot. I popped my head out of the water, feeling the sun evaporate the water of my face. I kept my neck under the water so I could look and breathe at the same time.

There was a long, bright white strip of sand that bordered the turquoise water of the ocean. A village was set up on the hill, homes with white walls and bright orange roofs. A bustling marketplace was filled with humans walking around just past the edge of the beach. The beach, and the pier next to it, was surprisingly empty. No ships were tethered to the wooden dock, and I had understood from the books that that was the point of a pier. I shrugged it off and kept starting at the small human town. Maybe if I got a bit closer….

Something wrapped around my wrist and pulled me back down under the water. I panicked, thrashing my tail around and smacking my assailant in the face.

"Elizabeta!" I stopped thrashing once I recognized the voice.

"Oh, shit, Bella! You scared me, I'm sorry!"

"Don't use foul language!" Bella snapped, rubbing the side of her head where I'd whacked her. "What on earth are you doing out here? You know mermaids have been going missing from around pier towns like this lately! What would we do if you were captured?"

I didn't have an answer for that, but Bella didn't need a response and she continued in a motherly tone. "You know better than to venture out this far. Humans are the spawn of evil itself."

"They are not!" I shot back. "Humans have good in them too."

"You've had one encounter with them, Elizabeta. You can't judge on something like that."

"You've never had an encounter. How can you conclude anything from that?"

Bella just sighed and shook her head like I was being difficult instead of correct. "You can take that up with Father. We're going home." I flicked my tail irately and sped off in the direction of the palace, arms crossed firmly over my chest. What did she know? All of them – my tribe, the other mermaid tribes – were judging these humans unfairly, just because someone in history decided that humans were consumed by greed, selfishness, and evil acts. Had anyone even tried to prove that they were good or evil or a mixture of both? Yes, some humans hunted us; but not all of them could be that way. That's just a poor sampling.

My father was at the palace gates when we arrived. His dark eyes were full of pure fury.

"What the hell were you thinking, Elizabeta?" he roared. I shrugged and didn't grant him a response. He pinched the bridge of his nose, and threw his arm up to point to the palace. "Throne room, now, young lady." I swam slowly off in the direction of the throne room. As I passed inside, I heard Father tell Bella she was dismissed for the day. So he planned on lecturing me for a long time. Fantastic.

I plopped angrily into the chair in the middle of the throne room and threw my tail over the right armrest and propped my back against the other. My father swam in and shut the door firmly behind him with a slam.

"What the hell were you thinking?"

"I just wanted to have a look. It's not a crime."

"It might as well be one! You could have been captured! The other tribe that lives in the cave system under those cliffs has been having more disappearances than ever lately in those waters. You could have been taken and killed and eaten, Elizabeta! Just because you escaped the clutches of a hunter once doesn't mean you'd be able to do it again. You know how they are."

"I do. You don't."

"I'm sorry?"

I got out of my chair and faced him, my arms crossed definitely and my stance tall. "I've met one once. A boy. He set me free. Are you seriously going to tell me that all humans are evil? He knew what I was. And he cut the ropes anyway before his father could see me. That's kindness. And you're saying humans are made of evil? You've never even met one."

"Humans changed my life in ways you could never understand, Elizabeta," my father lowered his voice dangerously but it didn't faze me.

"Really now?" I said sarcastically. "I was caught in a goddamn net. And freed. That's pretty life-changing, isn't it?"

"Elizabeta," he warned.

"I'm sick of you treating me like a child!" I finally yelled, a satisfying clap of thunder booming overhead. "I can fend for myself. I'm not a little girl! All I wanted to do was take a look at a human settlement. They're interesting and they're not evil!"

"Elizabeta, please calm yourself before you cause another hurricane."

"Like I give a shit if I cause a hurricane! I bet you actually want me to cause one, don't you? Because then maybe it'll slam some of those innocent human beings that you are so convinced are evil!"

"Don't talk about things you don't understand!" he bellowed.

"I understand just fine, thanks!"

My father grabbed my arm roughly, and I tried to wrench away but he held fast. "You have no idea what you're talking about, Elizabeta. You want to know how I know humans are evil? Hmmm? Maybe because they killed your mother for her tail."

My blood ran cold the moment the terrifying words left his mouth. "Wh-what?"

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><p>Author's Notes:<p>

Well, here you have the first chapter of _Song of Storms_ by myself (PurpleSkyJuliet) and the wonderful PrussiaPWNS. I will be writing in Liz's POV, and she'll be writing Mr. Awesome's POV. This is my first time collaborating and posting a full-length Hetalia fanfiction, so I'm really excited to be working with a fantastic writer and one of my favorite pairings ever. I'm really excited to present this to you, and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as we enjoy writing it! =D ~ Juliette

**Ha, the Awesome shall be writing Mr. Awesome~ I won't be writing until chapter three, so I hope you can all wait until then -3- excuse my immaturity X'D FINALLY WE CAN POST THIS! Gah, I hate Fan Fiction's stupid rules. This is my first time collaborating **_**ever **_**and I'm happy to be sharing it with my amazing friend who has knowledge in grammar and amazing writing skills. We definitely do enjoy writing this, throwing random brainstorms at each other XP I hope you guys don't take the mermaid concept for immature. It will get slightly darker as it goes on. Too much fluff gets on my nerves -.- ****~ Emily the Awesome**

___**REVIEW IF YA WANNA SEE MORE**___


	2. Chapter 2

My father released my arm with a sigh and I sunk to the ground, disturbing a cloud of sand when I fell on the stone. The sand swirled around me briefly before settling on my tail and limbs. I stared in shock, unable to push myself off the ground. I faintly heard my father talking.

"They came one day while she was out for a swim, looking for the sea glass she liked to collect. She was not much farther out then you were. Some guards that were close by swam to try to fight to get her back, but they'd already killed her with a knife and dragged her out of the water. There was nothing more to be done."

"You…You said…she got sick and died," I whispered.

"I lied. You were eight. Telling you she was butchered would've been scarring for you."

I stayed quiet and brushed the sand off my tail. My green scales stayed dirty. I looked at the scars left by the net and ran my hand over them. They held such a tale, a tale of a human saving a mermaid. It was an absurd story, everyone told me. Humans had no ability to care for beings such as us. They were greedy and cold-hearted and would kill us in a split second. They were not to be trusted.

"Do you still believe humans aren't evil?"

I stopped mid-brush and let the cloud of sand fall back on my scales. I laid my hands in my lap and clenched them into fist.

"Yes," the word tumbled out. My father looked at me in pure disbelief. I raised my head and met his dark eyes, completely opposite from the green eyes I shared with my mother. "The humans who hunt us are probably evil souls. But that's because only a bad person is going to kill for sport. Maybe not all of the people who even attack us are purely evil; maybe they want our tails to prevent someone they love from dying. It's still an evil act, but they can't be pure evil if they have someone they care about that deeply. The good ones…they stay out of the waters. They have no business hunting us. They might not even believe we exist and maybe some of them even believable it's wrong to kill us. I'm sure some of them think we're not just some…animals they should hunt for sport. Those people don't come after us so we never see them. And I want to prove to you that they exist out there in the world."

"And just how do you plan to do that?"

"By becoming human." I paused, and again he just stared at me. "I read about it in one of the scrolls at the record hall. You can turn someone human for a short while."

"At a price, Elizabeta." He narrowed his eyes at me in a challenging look, as if he thought that was going to make me back down.

"I know. I read about it. It didn't explain what the consequences were completely, but I'm willing to take the risk." Humans _can_ be caring. I've witnessed it. And I can prove it. I know I can.

"You're willing to suffer excruciating consequences and become a monster just to attempt to prove that not all humans are evil?" I know they aren't all evil. I can feel it in my tail. If they were all evil, I wouldn't be alive right now.

I returned his challenging look. "That is what I said."

My father looked at me sternly. "Make sure you listen to what I'm going to tell you, because these are the consequences of becoming human and if you fail in your quest to prove their innocence. When you turn human, your tail will turn to legs. Your body isn't designed to have legs, so your legs will bleed if you overuse them. Walking is going to feel like wading through a pit of swords. With the way the spell works, you will lose all your memories of humans if you fail in your quest. You'll be human for one month. You have one month to convince me that humans are not evil. Do you understand?"

I nodded confidently. "Yes."

"You still want to go through with it?"

I affirmed his statement with a determined nod. Ha, there was no way I was backing down now.

I jumped when I heard someone burst in the door. I looked behind me. It was Bella.

"Father, you can't possibly be going along with this!" Bella yelled. Had she been hiding behind the door this whole time?

At this point, I was happy Lili and Michelle were in school. I couldn't bare leaving Michelle the most. She'd be so heartbroken, I know it. She'd sob inconsolably, and then my determination would waiver. But I had to do this, no matter what anyone else told me.

"It's Elizabeta's choice. She'll learn that humans cannot be trusted," Father said confidently. "This appears to be the only way she'll ever come to understand that."

"Elizabeta, please think about your choice," Bella pleaded.

I slightly winced at the look of pain on her face, feeling guilty. But if I couldn't prove this, then I would be confined in the castle for the rest of my life. That was not the life the goddess of the weather wanted or needed. I reached up absently and rubbed my fingers over the gold of my armband.

I stood up and looked at Bella. "I have thought about my choice, Bella. I _want_ to go."

Bella looked around the throne room, her eyes pleading as she thought of something to say to convince me to stay. She settled on staring at the ground, teary eyed but refusing to cry. "I understand. Be careful, OK? Don't do anything rash."

I nodded to her with a vague smile and looked to Father.

Father sighed and rubbed his forehead. "You're just like your mother. You don't give up once you set your heart on something. Close your eyes."

I did as I was told, and I felt my father's hand come up to my face, a finger resting gently on each of my temples. Light flashed behind my eyelids and a searing pain engulfed my body, and then I was numb. Distantly, I felt myself falling.

Everything started fading. The last thing I heard was, "Take care, my little hurricane."

Author's Notes:

Sorry for the shortness! Emily and I worked hard on this (we sent it back like three times and kept adding), and manged to double the word count. But, think of it this way: next chapter has Gilgil. So, look forward to that and ignore the shortness! =D ~Juliette

**As my friend said, we worked **_**really **_**hard on this chapter. She could only get it up to 666 words, then I bumped it up to around 1,000, and then we got it just a tiny bit over 1,000. Next chapter is definitely going to be longer, I promise it. I hope you enjoy my writing next chapter~ -Emily**


	3. Chapter 3

"…ert…"

What the—

"Gilbert!"

I was jostled awake and quickly sat up straight. I looked around at my surroundings to see I was in…court.

Jesus fucking Christ, not this place.

"Gilbert, have you even been listening?"

I looked to my left to see my father staring at me with his icy blue eyes.

Hoh shit… "Yes?"

My father groaned.

"And this is the man you're marrying off to my daughter? A man who has barely any respect to stay awake during his own father's speech? How honorable," sneered the man across the large table. He had platinum blonde hair and deep blue eyes that were narrowed into a glare directed at me. He went by the name King Igor.

"Gilbert simply didn't get much sleep last night."

Part of it was true. I hadn't wanted this day to come _ever_. The day where I was being forced into a marriage I didn't want. I was perfectly capable of running a kingdom by myself. Alone. Not with some crazy she-devil that would kill me in a moment's notice. To make matters worse, this was a political marriage. It was to settle a feud between our two kingdoms. Our kingdoms were fighting over something rather stupid. A village from Igor's kingdom was attacked and many were killed. Having a long-lasting rivalry with my father, Aldrick, our kingdom was blamed for the act when we did no such thing. There was fighting and overall madness, and to gloss it all over, they arranged this marriage.

I glanced at my future wife. She was beautiful, I'd give her that. She had long platinum blonde hair and deep blue eyes like her father. Upon her head sat a blue bow that matched her eyes and only added to her beauty. Too bad she was bat-shit crazy.

"—He isn't even listening right now, after he was scolded!"

This man is started to get on my nerves. I let out an animalistic growl and shot up from my seat. "Listen here, you ba—"

"Gilbert Beilschmidt, you are dismissed!" my father yelled.

"Good riddance," I growled, making sure to glower at the other king.

My Prussian blue and red coat swung behind me as I stomped out. I stormed straight to the stables, shoving past anyone that was in my way.

Some of the stupid maids tried to calm me down.

"Prince Gilbert, please!"

"Calm down, your Highness!"

Any experienced maid knew _not _to mess with me when I was storming down the hall with a snarl on my pale face.

I relaxed slightly when the afternoon sun hit my face when I burst outside. I took an immediate left and sprinted to the stables where the horses were kept. I looked around the stables, not spotting anyone. God dammit.

I walked up to a very familiar horse. I smiled slightly at the beautiful palomino mare and stroked her muzzle. "Hey, Julchen. How's my pretty girl doing?"

Julchen snorted in response and nudged into my hand.

"I missed you, too," I said with a light laugh. I continued to stroke her muzzle and before long, she dipped her head and started to nibble at my coat pocket.

I chuckled. "Sorry, Julchen. No treats today."

Julchen whined.

"I was in a meeting with that crazy girl from the eastern kingdom of whatever," I said.

Julchen bobbed her head in agreement. Julchen never took a liking to the she-devil named Natalia either. Julchen doesn't enjoy sharing me much. She only shares me with my life-long friend.

I looked up when I heard familiar barking. I turned my head to the opposite end of the stable to see two dogs making a run for me.

"How are my boys?" I asked as I dropped to the ground.

The two dogs ran into my arms and attacked my face with licks.

"Blackie, Aster, calm down!" I laughed as I tried to pull away.

Blackie, the German Sheppard, obediently stepped back and sat down. Aster, the Labrador, stopped licking but stayed right in my face.

His breath stunk really badly. "Back up, Aster."

Aster simply sat down and barked at me.

"Stupid dog," I muttered and he barked at me again as if to say, "I heard that."

I got up and dusted off my now dirt-stained pants.

"Have you seen Antonio around?" I asked the three animals.

Julchen swung her head to the left and neighed. She was pointing to the ring where horses were trained and ridden to keep them in shape.

"Thank, Julchen!" I called as I ran off. "I'll be sure to get you some sugar cubes next time."

Julchen faintly neighed behind me and I smiled. I stopped short at the fence of the ring and looked around. Antonio was nowhere to be seen.

"_Ay_! Stupid horse!"

I turned my head in the direction I heard the voice. I walked around until I saw my best friend dusting himself off and the mustang near him holding its head high and neighing in triumph.

The stable boy grabbed the halter of the horse and jerked it to his face. "You listen to me, you stubborn _caballo_. _Calm down_."

The horse stared deep into Antonio's eyes before shaking his head and relaxing a bit.

"Ah, more miracles from the magic horse whisperer!" I announced as I walked toward Antonio.

Antonio turned around and grinned. "Your Highness~" he said with a deep bow. The mustang nipped him on his ass, making him jump back up in surprise with a yelp.

I laughed and continued over to him. "How's my favorite stable boy today?"

"I've been dealing with this pain in ass the whole day," Antonio said as he pointed at the horse. "I think it's about time I put him away, though."

Antonio hooked the mustang up to a lead and walked the horse back into his stall.

"So, how was your royal meeting~?" Antonio asked with a smile.

"I got kicked out."

"Hm, again, huh?"

"Shut up," I growled.

His bright green eyes shone with amusement. We walked side by side until we got to the ring where Antonio climbed on top of the fence and sat down. I leaned against it and looked up at my friend.

"What has the great prince have planned today, considering you've been kicked out of the meeting."

"I was going to go to the beach, actually," I said.

I've always been interested with the sea for as long as I can remember. Whenever I got kicked out of these meetings (which was basically every time they were held), I usually headed to the beach. I just felt so drawn to it.

"I'm not standing in your way, sir. Go to the beach~ The turtles are waiting for you~"

I laughed at that. Antonio always loved turtles.

I stood up straight. "I'll tell them you said hi."

"You better," Antonio said with mock sternness as he jumped down. "Want me to saddle up Julchen for you?"

"No, I can do it. See you later, Toni."

"Bye."

After I had Julchen saddled up, I told the guards where I would be going.

"Sire, shouldn't you have some form of protection?" one asked.

"No need. I'm going to my part of the beach," I answered. I wasn't worried about getting hurt. Not only did no one go to my secluded place on the beach, but the villagers also knew I was not one to challenge to a duel.

I put Julchen into a steady trot and headed for the beach. I ignored all the noises of interest from the villagers as I passed. My priority was to get to the beach only. When dirt turned into white sand, I slowed Julchen down into a steady walk. The green-blue beauty came into view and I instantly felt at ease. I took a whiff of the salt-scented air and relaxed into the saddle. I closed my ruby red eyes and let Julchen take me wherever she wanted. I soon heard her hooves splashing in the water as she walked along the coastline. It was so peaceful.

"You know where to go, Julchen. To the pier," I said quietly.

Julchen neighed in response and trotted down the coastline in the direction of the seemingly abandoned pier. I looked to the sea and smiled lightly. The sea has always been fascinating to me. There are so many stories out there. Stories of sea monsters that can swallow whole ships, selkies that shed their skin to mate, and the beautiful mermaids that have the ability to give eternal life if you eat their tail.

Mermaids were always the most interesting to me. There were so many tales about them. There were stories that said they drowned sailors out of spite, that they forgot that humans couldn't breathe and accidentally drowned the sailor, or that they are benevolent towards humans. The stories Mother told me were about how mermaids went into hiding when they were discovered by humans because one had found out that eating their tail gave the consumer immortality. Mermaids were so intriguing. Upper part human, lower part fish. All the tales told them to be magnificently beautiful with shining tails of all colors. But alas, they are simply a myth. Not real. The concept of mermaids is interesting, but the possibility of them was absurd.

The sea itself was a very intriguing place. I bet there are a bunch of places humans have yet to discover. I can only hope they'll discover something during my time that will peak my interest. The ocean: the most beautiful, calming, magnificent, intriguing place yet to be fully discovered by humans' hands. And I can't wait until it is.

I was awoken from my daydream about the awesome ocean when Julchen came to a full stop.

"Huh?" I bent forward to look at Julchen. "What is it?"

Julchen didn't answer, just kept still, the water lapping at her hooves. I dismounted, my brown leather boots hitting the water with a light splash. My coat slightly flared out as the soft sea breeze hit it. I looked into Julchen's brown eyes.

"What made you stop, Julchen?"

Julchen ignored me again and continued to breathe heavily. She snorted ever so often and her ears twitched. I looked deeper into her eyes and squinted to see a little spot reflecting in them. "What the hell?"

I turned around and my eyes landed on something on the coastline. I squinted and tried to get a better look. That smudge was starting to take a form.

My concentration was lost when Julchen nudged my back and urged me forward with a soft neigh. I looked back at Julchen and she flicked her head toward the spot.

"OK, OK, I'm going."

I walked down the beach, focusing on the spot that was significantly growing larger and starting to take shape. I was many yards away when the spot actually took a shape.

_It was a woman_.

I ran for the spot as quickly as I could, which wasn't very fast because the damn sand slowed me down. When I finally reached the woman, my face heated up in embarrassment.

She was naked. Completely naked. Her long brown hair covered her breast and her legs were crossed over one another to cover her vital regions. The only thing she had on was a golden band around her bicep, the two ends connected by a lightning bolt.

"H-hey, Miss? Are you OK?" I asked as I gently shook her shoulder. "Miss?"

"Mmhmm?" I stopped shaking her when I saw her eyes open slightly. She let out a light sound of pain.

She opened her eyes fully and flinched at the light. She closed her eyes again tried to hide into my knee, I guess to block the sunlight. I sat there shocked for moment.

I cautiously brought my hand up to her head and left it there. "Miss, are you OK?"

She turned her head back up at me. She squinted her vibrant green eyes as they adjusted to the light. Her eyes suddenly got big and she gripped my knee tightly.

I winced in pain and she gasped and let go.

"Were you out drinking last night, Miss?" I asked.

Her response was a huge grin as she tackled me into a tight hug.

She gave a light laugh and whispered into my ear, "I've missed you."

* * *

><p><strong>Sooooo, did I write well? Grammar is definitely my downfall, as you can see. Ah, Mrs. Alvarez would kill me. Never mind, she's too nice and quiet~ Well, yup. Hope ya enjoyed. Now I shall pass this to my friend~<strong>

Hello! =D I think Emily did a great job; I just love Gilbert to pieces. XD I hope you enjoyed this chapter =)

**_REVIEW IF YA WANNA SEE THE NEXT CHAPTER ALIVE_** ~Love, Emily~


	4. Chapter 4

When I saw the red-eyed boy, I couldn't help my throw my arms around him. I'd found him! The only human ever known to free a mermaid. A source of human kindness.

"M-Miss, I'm afraid you must have me confused with someone else…" he gently pushed on my shoulders, and I pulled back and shook my head at him.

"No, I remember you! Who else has red eyes like you do?" I replied.

"There must be another albino out there, because I don't think we've met before." My heart sank. He didn't remember me. I remember him clear as the water on the day he saved my life, but he appeared to have not the slightest inkling as to who I was.

"You don't remember me?" I asked with a crestfallen tone.

"I-I'm afraid not…"

He was blushing wildly, trying to look anywhere but me. Why was he trying so hard to avoid looking at me? I looked down at myself. Oh. That's why. I wasn't wearing anything but my armband. My shell cover-up must have somehow disappeared when I switched….

Suddenly a piece of fabric fell over my head. I yanked it down and wrapped it around myself, staring up at the boy, who was blushing and averting his eyes again, now coatless.

"Well, go on. Put it on."

I slid my arms into the blue and red sleeves and stared at the golden buttons. I'd read about buttons, but we'd never had them on any of our garments at home. I dragged a button across to its hole, my tongue poking out slightly as I tried to fit it into the hole. I fumbled with the button for a while before the red-eyed boy sank to his knees on the sand and reached forward hesitantly, buttoning the coat for me, turning redder by the second.

"What's your name?" I asked after a moment while he finished buttoning up his coat on me.

"Gilbert Beilschmidt, at your service, Miss…"

"Elizabeta Héderváry."

He smiled at me, the redness dissipating from his cheeks now that I was clothed. "Let's get you home then, Elizabeta. Where do you live?"

"I…uhm…"

Well, Gilbert, I live in a mermaid settlement underneath the sea by a set of cliffs that are complete and utter doom to human ships. I've come to prove that humans aren't evil to the other mermaids. Yes, that'd go over splendidly.

"I don't really remember, " I laughed embarrassedly as I lied. "I don't remember how I got here, either. I…I don't think I'm from around here, though." Well, that part was true. I'm definitely not from around here.

"You don't remember where you live?" he asked, his red eyes showing his disbelief.

"Yes, that's what I just said."

He sighed and appeared to be pondering what to do with me. I fiddled uncomfortably with the buttons on the coat he'd given me to wear. Finally, he spoke.

"You can stay with me. To hell with whatever my parents say." He rose then – he was taller than I'd realized – and extended a hand to me. I reached up and took it, slowly bending my knees.

My knees?

I looked down, and sure enough, there were two pale-skinned legs in place of a green-scaled tail. I put my foot on the ground, and pushed up, propelling myself upwards into a shaky standing position, both feet on the ground.

And it hurt like hell. I felt a million needles stabbing into my calves, and I let a slight hiss of pain escape my lips as I tried to steady myself, but my right leg gave out and I toppled over to the right. Gilbert caught me, one of his arm around my waist, holding me in the air, the other still firmly grasping my left hand. He was blushing, turning as red as the sea-tomatoes Lovino liked so much. Quickly, he steadied me.

"Should I carry you?" he offered.

"No, I…I want to walk." I released his hand, making my way in the direction he instructed me to move. My legs shook and it hurt as bad as Father said it would, but I had legs. And I was walking. Each step – one leg pushing off the ground, the other propelling forward and meeting the ground, then pushing off so the other foot could move forward – was fascinating and different. Walking was wonderful despite the pain. It was such a human activity. I smiled brightly and widely as I watched my legs carry me across the sand, the pain becoming an afterthought and my legs becoming more confident in carrying my weight with each movement. Once I had steadied, Gilbert took his hand away from the outstretched position it had been in – I suppose he was worried I would collapse again – and walked a couple paces ahead of me. He pointed at a stationary brownish dot off in the distance.

"That's Julchen. We'll ride her back to my place."

I nodded and kept my eyes locked on my legs. I didn't look up until I saw Gilbert's brown boots stop on the sand. I moved my head up then, and nearly fell backwards at the sight of the creature in front of me. It was beautiful, for certain; it had a golden coat with a flowing white mane and tail and large, chocolate brown eyes. Gilbert was rubbing its side affectionately.

"All right, girl, this is Elizabeta. She's gonna come with us back home, okay?" The animal made a neighing sound in response and flicked her tail. Gilbert kept one hand on the reins, extending his other hand to me.

"I'll help you get on. C'mere."

I eyed the creature warily. She looked vaguely like the hippocampi we had back home…except in place of its scaly tail, it had two legs. Much like what had happened to me when I changed. I think the scrolls said the humans called them…horses. Yes, horses.

"Don't tell me you're scared of her," Gilbert said with a grin, his white teeth flashing in the sun.

"I most certainly am not!" I snapped, putting my hand in his offered one. "I think she just looks a little bit different from the horses back home." He just grinned again, and moved me in front of him, putting his hands on my hips and facing me toward Julchen.

"Okay, put your hands on her back. On three, push down with your hands and jump up and swing your leg over to the other side of her back. Got it?" I nodded in confirmation. "All right, one, two, three!"

He lifted me up as I pushed and jumped, my legs burning from the pain of exerting my legs so much. I managed to swing my leg over to the other side of Julchen's back, and my hands latched firmly onto the leather saddle as my legs throbbed. Gilbert hopped on behind me, reaching around me to grab ahold of the reins. He flicked them gently, saying, "C'mon, girl, take us home." Julchen neighed and trotted off in the direction of the orange-roofed village on the hill. As she approached the town, Gilbert tugged her reins and directed her onto a different road that appeared to parallel the main street instead of trotting through the middle of town. I assumed that would be because he had a girl dressed in only his coat riding on the front of his horse.

Between the white-walled houses, I could see snippets of the main street of town. Vendors were calling out prices and products, waving them in the air. People argued with them over prices. It was ten times as crowded and twenty times as loud as the marketplace back home. There were the vibrantly colored foods the scrolls talked about; bright hues of orange, red, purple, yellow, and even blue. Some stands showed equally bright fabrics, printed with beautiful, intricate patterns. Some stands displayed golden and silver jewelry, so much more shiny than the shells we wore at home. The only jewelry we ever saw made of metals such as those were the princesses' armbands and the royal crowns the King and Queen wore.

The sun was warmer than it was underneath the water. Gilbert's coat made me feel warm, but comfortably so. My mostly bare legs absorbed the abundant sunshine, warming the fresh skin and calming the ache from jumping. Gilbert's knee was knocking gently against mine as he directed Julchen up the street to the top of the hill. I could vaguely feel his breath on my slowly drying hair and his chest move behind my back with each inhale and exhale.

He was so much older now than I remembered him; he was taller, as was to be expected after eleven years. His hair was slightly longer and a little more unruly than when he was a child, but still the bright white color and his eyes were still their unique, ruby red hue. But he didn't remember me. Maybe I looked too different, with my long hair and new legs. Should I come right out and tell him who I was? Oh, hey, Gilbert, I'm a mermaid. You know, the one you cut the ropes off of and freed eleven years ago? Yeah, that's me. Surprise!

But what if he's heard the story since then? That immortality would be granted to the consumer of a mermaid tail? Maybe he didn't know it when he let me go and has learned it since. Or maybe he thinks mermaids aren't real, and he'd just ship me off to some hospital for crazy humans and never believe a word I say ever again. I chewed on my lip in thought. Keeping my species a secret for the time being seemed like the best option. I'd finally found him; I didn't want to scare him off in the same day. I just turned my face up toward the bright sun and closed my eyes, sighing in content at the warmth.

When Julchen slowed to a walk, I opened my eyes. We were riding through a thicket of trees, all dozens of meters tall with the brightest green colored leaves I'd ever seen. The ground was familiar brown dirt, but several yards forward, I could see a field of green grass even more vibrant than the leaves from between the trees. Gilbert directed Julchen around the roots on the ground skillfully.

"We're going to go in the servant's way, so…uhm…we can get you some clothes before you go all the way in."

"Oh. Right. Sorry about the trouble. I'm…glad you were willing to take me in off the beach. Thank you."

"Heh, it's what awesome people like me do. Don't worry about it."

The grass in the field was well maintained, and several buildings and fenced in rings littered the area. Gilbert slowed Julchen to a slow walk as we reached the stables. As soon as she stopped, a cacophony of noise erupted from inside the stable, and two four-legged creatures rushed out, making a storm of noise. I tensed and dug my nails into my palms. What on earth were those things?

Gilbert, however, just laughed and jumped off of Julchen, landing smoothly on the ground. "Hey, boys! You miss me?" They made more loud noises and went to lick Gilbert's hands and face as he crouched down to pet them. He looked up at me while one of the creatures licked his face vigorously. "Don't tell me you're afraid of dogs too, Elizabeta."

"I'm not!" I shot back quickly. "They just don't have them where I'm from. Not that I can remember where that is. But I've never seen a….dog before."

"You really aren't from around here, are you?" I shook my head again. He smiled and laughed again. "Well, come on down. I'll introduce them to you. They're pretty awesome dogs."

I swung my legs over to the same side of the horse and slid off, landing softly on the ground, but pain still shot up my legs. I ignored it and kneelt next to Gilbert in the soft grass.

"Okay, stick out your hand and let them sniff it. This one here's Blackie, and this is Aster." I stuck my hand out cautiously, and the two dogs immediately began sniffing it with their cold, wet, black noses. I winced in surprise at how cold they were when they nudged my palm. Aster decided he liked me first, giving my hand a large lick with his rough tongue. I gasped in surprise, and Gilbert chuckled to himself as Blackie licked my palm as well.

"See, they're harmless. They definitely seem to have taken a liking to you."

I smiled and laughed as the dogs licked my hands while Gilbert led Julchen back into the stables. I petted the dogs after a couple minutes, and then Gilbert came back out from the stables and beckoned for me to come with him.

"Come on, let's go in and get you some real clothes." I nodded in agreement, and stood up, walking up next to Gilbert and following him towards the large estate he called home.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Notes:<strong>

You guys have no idea how many times I had to pace my room to figure out the correct way to describe walking. I didn't think it would be hard because it's walking. But anyway, we've got the fourth chapter here, and the main plot is probably beginning soon, since they're finally really together. Hope you all enjoy it; this was fun to write! ^^ ~Juliette

**Hi. I jammed my fingers. And got staples in my head last week, thanks to my sister. I AM ACCIDENT PRONE, YO~! Well, I gotta go print an essay and my dog is trying to break into my room. I hope you enjoy the adventure as it unfolds~~~ -Your Stalker (I'm outside your window. Don't look, just take my word for it.)**


	5. Chapter 5

I watched in amusement as Elizabeta looked up in awe at the castle.

"This is where you live? It's quite beautiful," she said with a small smile.

"Yeah, I know. It's awesome." I mentally smacked myself. I thought I had gotten out of the habit years ago. My parents didn't stop until I knew using the word "awesome" excessively was not "prince-like".

I cleared my throat. "First, let's get you, uh, some clothes, shall we?" I asked in embarrassment.

"Oh, yes. Certainly."

I lead her to the servants' quarters and knocked on the door.

It was answered by a fidgety young man by the name of Toris. "P-prince Gilbert! What are you doing here, Sire?"

"I need some clothes for my companion," I said and gestured to Elizabeta, who was suddenly interested in the wall of the building, running her hand along the rough surface.

"O-of course, your Highness. I'll go get Feliks. Excuse me, Sire." He bowed to me and started to walk off. He then turned around. "Come in, Prince Gilbert. I'm sure you must be tired."

"Thank you, Toris," I said and walked over to Elizabeta. "Come inside with me. We're getting you some clothes."

Elizabeta nodded and followed me inside. She made sounds of interest.

I heard her mumble something that I couldn't quite catch.

"What did you say?" I asked.

She looked startled as she looked at me. "It was nothing."

We both jumped when we heard yelling.

"Oh my god, Toris! Why didn't you, like, tell me, the crowned prince was coming? I would've totally dressed up better! I'm probably so ugly looking right now. Eek! How can the prince see me like this?" Yep, that was Feliks.

"F-Feliks, calm down, please! He just needs clothes for his companion. It's nothing big."

"Next time, like, have the decency to tell me a _prince_ was coming!"

"Prince?" Elizabeta looked to me in confusion.

I laughed nervously. "Yeah, about that—"

"Prince Gilbert!" Feliks said cheerfully as he walked in. Even though Feliks pulled off the look of a woman in a dress, he was one hundred percent male under all the female clothes. "Like, what is the honor of having you here? Do you want something to drink? _Toris, go get him a drink_."

"Y-yes, Feliks," Toris said.

"I need you to find clothing for my friend, Elizabeta," I said in a commanding voice, really only used in urgent emergencies. In my book, this _was _an urgent emergency.

"Like, of course, your Majesty!" Feliks walked over to Elizabeta and held out a hand to her. "Come with me, sweetie. I'll make you look fabulous~"

Elizabeta looked to me with a questioning look, as if she were a child asking me if it was OK to go with someone unfamiliar.

I chuckled. "Go on now, shoo," I joked.

She smiled at me and got up just as Toris came in with three glasses filled with ale. He set two down for me and I smiled at him. He knew about my little alcohol problem. He set the other one down where Elizabeta was standing.

Feliks lead Elizabeta down the little hall, beckoning Toris with one finger. "Come here, you. I, like, totally need your help with something."

"Wh-what?"

"It's really quick, nothing big."

"OK…Excuse us, your Majesty."

They disappeared down the hall and I took a sip of my first glass. I smiled as I felt the familiar buzz ran through my body. I continued to drink and look at the hallway.

I chuckled at the shocked look on Toris' face as he walked back in. He was holding my coat in his hands as he walked over to me.

"What happened?" I asked as he handed my coat.

"Feliks took the coat off right in front of me. I-I didn't know she was completely naked, Sire!"

I burst out laughing. "Is that so?"

Toris' face turned bright red and he hid his face in his hands.

I laughed harder. When I calmed down, I took a huge gulp of ale. "So, how are you doing, Toris?"

"Fine, your Majesty." It was pretty clear he was lying.

"Hm, pretty bad, huh?" I said.

"I-I never said that, Sire…"

"Is old Aldrick being a bastard?"

"I don't think I'm in the position to talk about my king like that, Prince Gilbert."

I took another sip. "It's just you and me, Toris. It's not like I'm going to go tell him."

Toris still looked unsure. "His Majesty is being rather…difficult as of late. I assume it's the tension with the marriage, correct?"

"Correct," I grumbled.

My eyes widened when I heard a squeal. "This'll look fabulous on you!"

"F-Feliks, is it really necessary I have to put that in my hair?"

"Yes! And gorgeous armband. Do you know where I can get one?"

"No, I'm sorry."

"Bummer. OK, you're done!"

I heard a door open and held my breath as Elizabeta walked in.

"Finished in, like, record time, huh, Toris?" Feliks asked.

I ignored them and walked over to Elizabeta. She was wearing clothing that stopped in the middle of her legs. The top part was a white undershirt with large, roomy sleeves. On top of that, she had a tight sleeveless black blouse that pulled down into a "U" shape and stopped just above her breast, revealing the white blouse underneath. She had a red skirt that met her blouse, giving off the impression of a dress. I looked at her feet to see she had black riding boots. I looked back up at her head to see she had a group of yellow flowers in her hair near her ear.

You would think I would remember someone as beautiful as her.

She smiled shyly at me. "Thank you again for letting me stay here."

"It's nothing," I responded and smiled.

"What's this about being a prince?" she asked.

"Oh, yeah." I rubbed my neck nervously. "Well, I'm the crown prince of this kingdom and where I live is the awesome castle. Surprise."

Her eyes widened. "Have I been being disrespectful? I'm so sorry!"

I put my hands on her shoulders to calm her down. "It's fine. I enjoyed how someone talked to me like a regular person."

A look of relief spread across her face. "As long as I'm not insulting you or anything."

I glanced at the glass of ale that had been left for Elizabeta. I started on my second one when we sat down.

She looked at the drink in confusion.

"You're supposed to drink it," I said as I pointed to the glass.

"I knew that!" Elizabeta retorted. "…What does it taste like?"

I smirked at her. "Why don't you taste it and find out?"

She huffed and cautiously took the glass in both hands and brought it to her lips. "It smells horrible." She took a small sip and her nose wrinkled up in disgust. "That is awful!"

I laughed again. "You'll get used to it. Take another sip and hold your nose when you do it."

"Won't I die if I don't breathe?" she asked with a worried look.

All of us but her laughed this time.

"You really don't remember anything, do you?" I asked and scooted closer to her. "Humans can hold their breath for awhile. What you do is use one hand to pinch your nose and breathe through your mouth. When you're ready to take a sip, take a big enough gulp of air that'll keep your body satisfied for a moment and take a sip. When you've got the ale in your mouth, you can put the glass down and breathe through your nose again."

She looked confused for moment before she slowly brought her hand to her nose and pinched it. She took a quick sip and slammed the glass down and swallowed. "I am _not_ drinking that again."

I chuckled. "I'll show you around. You've met Toris and Feliks, along with Julchen and the dogs." I thought about where we'd go next. "Let's go to the stables. Is Antonio out there?"

"He went back out a little before you came, your Majesty," Toris answered.

"Great." I got up and offered my hand to Elizabeta. "We're going to go introduce you to my awesome friend."

Elizabeta nodded. She placed her hand in mine and we walked out of the servant's quarters. We made our way to the stables to find Antonio feeding a gray horse an apple. He was cooing something in Spanish as we walked up.

"Hey, Antonio," I greeted. Elizabeta had pushed herself closer to me, looking at all the horses with wide, curious eyes.

"There are _more_ of them?" I heard her mutter.

"Hey. Hm, who is this?" Antonio asked as he eyed Elizabeta.

"This is Elizabeta. Elizabeta, this is the stable hand and my best friend, Antonio," I said.

"Pleasure to meet you," Elizabeta said.

Antonio smiled cheerfully. "The pleasure's all mine~"

Elizabeta smiled back. "So you take care of the horses?"

Antonio nodded. "_Si._ I also have some other helpers, but today I'm the only one. The others are out getting more apples."

"...See?" Elizabeta asked, looking extremely confused.

"_Si_. It's Spanish, _chiquita_."

"Spanish?" Elizabeta asked. "What's Spanish?"

"Er, it's a variant of language," Antonio said. "I'm lost. You don't know what Spanish is?"

Her face heated up. "I, um…" she hesitated for a moment. "No, I don't know what Spanish is. Would you mind explaining it to me?"

Antonio stroked his chin. "I'm not the best with explaining things. Why don't you take her to the study? It has all the information in the world."

"Can we go there?" Elizabeta asked excitedly.

"Yeah, of course," I answered.

She grabbed my hand and tugged me in toward the castle.

"Nice meeting you!" Antonio called from behind.

"Same here!" Elizabeta answered.

"Wait, do you even know where you're going?" I exclaimed as she pulled me along.

Her step didn't slow down. "Nope."

I tugged a little on her hand and she looked back at me. "It's this way."

She started to walk in the direction I had told her. Soon enough, we were at the doors of the study. I peaked in and saw a familiar face sat down at the desk.

"Hey, Luddy," I greeted my younger brother.

"Gilbert?" Ludwig asked. "What are you doing here, _Bruder_?"

"Showing someone around."

"Natalia?"

I snarled. "_No_. Is that unawesome crazy bitch still here?"

Ludwig narrowed his icy blue eyes at me. "They're staying for dinner."

"Dammit!" I hissed.

"Gilbert, is everything OK?" Elizabeta asked. I forgot I still had her in the hall.

"Yeah," I said and pulled her in. I quickly closed the door behind me.

"Gilbert, who is this?" Ludwig exclaimed.

"Uh, hello, my name is Elizabeta," Elizabeta greeted shyly.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Ludwig, Gilbert's younger brother." He turned back to me. "Why is she here?"

"I found her on the beach and I didn't know what to do with her! She doesn't remember _anything_. I didn't know Natalia would be staying for dinner!"

"Hm, maybe if you didn't get kicked out again, you would know!"

"Shut up!" I retorted and turned to Elizabeta.

Or at least where I had left Elizabeta. "Gah! Where'd you go?"

"Hmm? Oh, I'm over here." I looked around and spotted Elizabeta looking at the books.

I walked over to her and saw her poking one of the books. "Is this an actual book?"

"Yeah, why?"

Elizabeta didn't respond as she pulled one book out of its place. She flipped through and her eyes widened. "Wow…"

"Pretty awesome, huh?" By now, I knew she barely knew anything. She was like a child.

She looked up from the book and smiled. "You like that word, don't you?"

"Which one?"

"Awesome."

"Dammit, dammit, dammit!" I hissed as I hit my head. "I'm not supposed to say that anymore!"

"Gilbert, you're going to hurt yourself!" Elizabeta cried and grabbed my hands.

"Sorry," I mumbled. "Why don't we find a book on Spanish? Ludwig, where are the books on Spanish?"

Ludwig sighed and walked over to a section and looked around. "This section."

"Thanks, Luddy," I said as we walked over to where he was standing.

I scanned the spines of the books. "Here, this one." I pulled it out and opened the cover.

Elizabeta moved closer to me to see the book. "Can you read it to me?"

"Oh, so now you can't read either?" I teased. "Just how much am I going to need to teach you?"

Elizabeta huffed and crossed her arms indignantly.

I chuckled at her pout and read the text out loud. She kept her eyes on the book the whole time as I read it to her. After the first couple of pages, she put her hand in the middle of the book, stopping me from reading.

"That's enough, I understand what Spanish is now," she said with a small smile. "It's a language of romance."

"If Toni were to hear you say that, he'd love you forever," I answered.

Elizabeta giggled. "What else is there to read?"

"Anything you can think of," I said with a smile.

Elizabeta walked the aisles with shining wide-open eyes. She dragged her fingers over the spines of the books, mouthing titles to herself. When a book struck her interest, she'd pick it up and read it, her grin getting bigger by the second. Whenever she'd find something interesting (which, to her, was everything from a book about the history of salt to a book about some really awesome eagles), she'd point ecstatically at the page and show it to me. Usually I'd never spend more than an hour in the stuffy library, but Elizabeta made it actually fun. We easily spent two hours in there, before a very panicked Toris rushed in. I heard him ask Ludwig where I was, which Ludwig answered by pointing to the row of books on cooking that Elizabeta was currently marveling over.

"Prince Gilbert, your father is searching for you…" Toris said in a rush, looking relieved to have found me as he sprinted over. "He's been looking everywhere for you and he is quite displeased…he's demanding you come to his throne room immediately, Your Highness."

I groaned and smashed my forehead down on a bookcase, causing Elizabeta to jump beside me and stare at me. "You really are going to hurt yourself if you keep doing that."

"Ke, don't worry about me," I replied and turned my head to smile at her. "I've gotta go do some unawesome stuff. But I'll be back later, all right?"

She nodded and I reached up to ruffle her hair gently, grinning. She smiled softly back. "Toris, do you mind staying with her? She's having the time of her life reading about food at the moment."

"Y-yes, of course, Sire."

"Awesome. See you later, Eli!"

Elizabeta cocked one eyebrow up, "Eli?"

"It's your new nickname. Awesome, huh?" I laughed and turned on my heel, hearing her soft laugh behind me as I made my way to the throne room.

"Gilbert, who is that girl?" Father demanded as soon as I stepped in the doors.

"A friend I am allowing to stay here," I said indignantly.

"Who is she?" Mother snapped.

"Her name is Elizabeta and she doesn't remember anything!" I answered.

"Gilbert! That is no way to talk to your mother!" Father yelled.

"Like I care! Elizabeta needs me to help her! How would you feel if you woke up on some strange beach and couldn't remember a thing about yourself other than your name? I can't just abandon her! That would be the most unawesome thing anyone had ever done! And she's awesome anyway!"

"What did we tell you about using that word, Gilbert?" Mother exclaimed.

"What, 'awesome'? It's not like it matters! I don't give a damn if it's not prince-like, it's who I _am_, which is an awesome albino that is obsessed with the word 'awesome' and I'm not ashamed of that."

Father glared at me and Mother fanned herself from the shock of the outburst.

"That woman is _not_ staying in the castle. If she is to stay, she will stay with the servants. I expect you to freshen up for dinner. The Braginskis are staying for dinner."

"All of them?" I asked. Please, not _all_ of them…

"Yes."

"That means Ivan, correct?"

"Gilbert, I said all of them."

"That is not awesome at all!" I yelled. "He'll try and rape Yao _again_!"

"He wasn't trying to rape him, just…say hello in a special way."

"That was the most unawesome excuse _ever_."

Father glared at me. "Just look decent at dinner, Gilbert."

When they left, I leaned against the wall. Ivan, the creepy, insane, freakishly large man that scared the shit out of everyone was staying for dinner.

I better go warn Yao.

**Hey! Juliette helped a bit with the "Elizabeta examining books" part because I had left it blank, not sure what to write exactly. I definitely have a blast writing as my lovely Gilbert~~~ -Emily (**_PrussiaPWNS_**)**

I'm here to help~ I love Gilbert! 3 And poor Yao getting molested. XD She did a fantastic job! Sorry for the long delay; we have chapter 6 typed up, but not chapter 7. So we'll see about the next update, but hopefully soon! ~~~ Juliette (_PurpleSkyJuliet_)


	6. Chapter 6

I could have spent hours in that study. The walls were covered in books from the floor to the ceiling around the perimeter, with shorter shelves in between the walls in aisles covering the massive room. There was a book on everything I could imagine about humans. About an hour ago, I had settled for a giant, heavy tome entitled _History of the World_ and had sat down at the table with Ludwig to pour over it. Toris had selected a book of his own and was calmly reading it across from me. Ludwig had excused himself a while ago to prepare for dinner. I was just getting into the year 1145 when the silence in the library was shattered.

"Like, oh my God, there you are!" Feliks rushed up to Toris and gripped his arm. Toris had dropped his book when Feliks yelled and looked rather panicked when Feliks latched onto his arm. "I've have totally been looking like everywhere for you and Elizabeta!"

"I-is there a problem?" Toris stammered, trying to regain his composure.

"Well, I don't totally know. But, Prince Gilbert's like totally pissed about the Braginskis staying, y'know. And apparently his parents won't let Elizabeta stay in the castle, which is sooooo mean! But, like, anyway, I was supposed to let you guys know that like, Elizabeta, you'll be eating with us and staying in the servants quarters. Yao said that dinner would be done, like, in an hour, so I came to tell you!"

I blinked and processed the information. I think I was supposed to be disappointed, I suppose, about not saying in the castle itself, but I looked forward to seeing the servant's quarters. The palace was so beautiful, I'm sure the servants had fantastic rooms, too. Our servants always had nice rooms in our palace; some of them just as nice as mine and my sisters'. But I didn't even care about where I slept; I was just happy to have somewhere to stay.

"But, like, anyway, I need to totally go help out some other maids with total fashion emergencies. So, Toris, can you show Elizabeta to dinner? Thanks!" Feliks rushed off in a whirlwind of pink skirts, leaving a slightly bewildered Toris behind.

Toris laughed nervously. "I think we only have one room open. And it's not in the female quarters, I'm afraid….you'd be staying at the far end of the male quarters."

"That's fine," I replied with a shrug. "I really don't mind at all."

"If you say so, Miss," Toris replied politely. "Come, let's go back to the servant's commons." I followed Toris out of the library and down the halls of the palace, which were oddly empty. Back home, the hallways always seemed to be full of people. I didn't like the way my footsteps echoed off the stone walls. Toris took a couple of turns until he found an old wooden door and pushed it open, holding it for me. I walked into the room that Gilbert had brought me to earlier, a large room with hallways running off to each side. A large table was set up in the middle of the room, and a familiar face was seated at it.

"Elizabeta!" Antonio chorused brightly, waving enthusiastically. I smiled widely back. "Did you find out what Spanish was, _Chiquita?_"

"_Si!"_ I replied, and Antonio laughed. He patted the seat next to him, and I sat down. He proceeded to tell me about where he came from, the place that spoke Spanish. He bounced in his seat and waved his arms around enthusiastically at the climax of each story. Eventually, other servants meandered into the hall; Antonio greeted two blonde haired boys with glasses who he said were from the stables as well, who sat down next to a blonde man with green eyes near the end of the long table. The louder of the two – who Antonio explained were brothers, the loud one Alfred and the quiet one Matthew – slung an arm around the man's shoulders and didn't remove it despite the man's angry swearing. Toris had sat down across from us, and Feliks had skipped in earlier and sat down next to Toris, chattering excitedly.

Two dark-haired men came in then, carrying platters of food, placing food items on your plates and moving down the table until everyone was served, and then sat down themselves.

"_Gracias_, Yao, Kiku!" Antonio chimed before everyone dug in. I marveled over the food on my plate. It was bright and vibrant, with shades of orange, green, purple, and a dark, rich brown color. I couldn't help but grin at the plate. Everyone else around me was talking, drinking glasses of that vile amber liquid I'd tasted earlier, and eating. Antonio looked over at me and spoke after he swallowed a huge bite of what looked like the above-water version of a sea-tomato.

"Dig in, _querida!_" he encouraged. I picked up my utensils and began to eat, savoring each bite at first, but quickly starting to shovel food in my mouth with the intensity of a starving person. I hadn't eaten since the bowl of seaweed I had for breakfast; no wonder I was starving. Everyone kept talking long after the dishes had been taken back into the kitchens, everyone taking their own plate back and setting them in a basin of warm, sudsy water. When Antonio and I returned from the kitchen, someone had pushed the tables to the back of the room and cleared a large area of space in the middle of the commons. Music was playing loudly and lively, and the servants were dancing around, spinning in circles with each other and laughing. I grinned brightly at the sight, and joined in the dance, forgetting about the dull ache in my legs. I danced with several people: Antonio, Alfred, Kiku, Feliks, and then back to Antonio again. Eventually the music and dancing died down – it was pitch black outside by now – and people began to bid each other good night. Antonio said goodnight and waved at me before disappearing down a corridor with a wave. I sat down at the table and watched Feliks drag Toris around the dance floor for the last dance, laughing. I can easily say that I had had the most fun of my life today. My face was almost sore from smiling and laughing but I couldn't stop. Toris, panting slightly, wished me sweet dreams and took off down a hallway to go to his room. Feliks spun over to me, grabbing me by the hand, pulling me up to a standing position, and pointed down the hallway Antonio had gone down several minutes before.

"Okay, sweetie, go down that hallway and then take a right turn. Your room is, like, the last room on the right at the end of that hallway. Night!"

"Good night, Feliks!" I replied as he skipped down the hall Toris had gone down. I walked down the hallway as instructed, the candles lighting my way along the dark hallway.

Suddenly a wave of pain struck me in my left leg. I lurched over to the side, catching myself on the wall before I fell, my eyes squeezed shut in pain. I hissed in a breath through my teeth and exhaled the same way. Using the wall as a balance, I made it to the turn in the hallway. With each step, more swords stabbed me. I took about five steps down the second hallway before I collapsed in a heap on the ground, holding back tears. I moved my legs slowly into the candlelight so I could get a look at them, lifting my skirts slightly. Little incisions had appeared down my legs and were oozing blood. I tired to stand to make it to my room, but I fell down with a muffled cry and a shot of pain through my legs, reduced to sobbing on the wood floor.

I heard a noise and looked up, still letting tears run out of my eyes. It was a soft pitter-patter overhead. I turned my head in my position on the floor to look out the window at the end of the hall. It was raining. I touched my armband lightly. I still controlled the weather, even though I was human. I just cried harder.

"Elizabeta?"

I turned my head to the voice the best I could and found Antonio standing at the end of the hallway, holding an oil lamp in one hand. He'd changed out of his stable uniform and was wearing night pants, a concerned look plastered on his face.

"Elizabeta, are you okay?"

"I…I…." I started. "My…my legs…"

He knelt down next to me. "_Dios mio,_ Elizabeta! What did you do?"

"I…I don't know…" I hiccupped.

"You're bleeding all over the place!" he exclaimed. He set down the lamp on the floor, before picking me up gingerly and carrying me off down the hallway.

"What – What are you doing?"

"Taking you back to your room!" he answered.

I squirmed in his grip for a second, embarrassed to be carried. I opened my mouth to say something, but Antonio spoke first.

"It'll be easier to fix your legs up there. Don't worry; you're not my type, if you know what I mean. And Gilbert would kill me!"

I stared at him, not understanding a word of what he meant. "What?"

"Never mind. Oh, look, it's raining. The sky's crying for you."

Actually, the sky is crying because I'm crying. But that's beside the point. I wiped my eyes with my sleeve.

"Uhm, which one is your room?"

"Last one on the right," I answered. Antonio walked to the door and opened it, knocking my legs against the wall slightly as he did so. I grunted and he apologized profusely. He set me down on the bed in the middle of the room.

"I'll be right back," he said and dashed off out the door and down the hall. My room was already illuminated with candles. I had a wardrobe against the left wall of the room, a desk against the right wall, and in the back of the room there was a door that was propped open slightly, showing a glimpse of a washroom. It was simple, but all beautiful all the same, made from a lovely, dark wood.

I looked down at my bloody legs, lifting my skirts again. I easily had two dozen slices on my legs, all oozing red blood that ran down my legs. I reached down and pulled off my boots, letting them thud onto the floor. I had a few cuts around my ankles.

Antonio came back in then, holding a massive pile of fabric and his lamp. He set the lamp down on the bedside table and looked over my legs.

"Have you had these for long?"

"I don't know," I answered. He opened the door to the washroom and emerged a few seconds later with a wet towel, and began dabbing at the blood on my legs. It stung, but I bit down on my lip and didn't complain. Antonio sung in Spanish as he washed my cuts.

"What's the song about?"

"Hmmm? Oh, two lovers who shut the door on their love. It's actually a French song. Francis taught it to me."

"Francis?"

"Gilbert and my other best friend!" Antonio chimed happily, grabbing the fabric he brought in and starting to wrap it snuggly around my legs. The pain had dropped from excruciating to a dull throbbing. "He's coming to visit soon, too! We've all been friends since we were young. Her Majesty used to call us the Bad Friends Trio because we got in so much trouble! You'll probably get to meet him when he comes. He's…uhm…well, he's Francis. I'm sure Gilbert will explain that to you before you meet him." Antonio finished wrapping my legs and stood, going to the washroom to wash the blood off his hands. I poked my leg experimentally. It didn't hurt as much anymore. Antonio walked out of the washroom, drying his hands.

"Thank you, Antonio."

"Don't worry about it, _Chiquita._ It's what friends do!~"

I smiled with him. He grabbed his lamp and looked out my window. "Oh, look! The sky stopped crying. It must be happy that your legs are better now!"

"Something like that," I replied.

"Well, _buenas noches_, Elizabeta. I'll see you at breakfast!"

"Good night and thanks again, Antonio." I said and smiled. He waved happily and exited, shutting the door behind him. I blew out the candle on the bedside table and flopped back onto my bed, maneuvering myself under the layers of blankets without jostling my legs too much. I settled my head into my pillow and drifted off into sleep.

**Authors' Notes:**

Gah! I'm so sorry for not updating for two months! OTL I've been swamped with schoolwork, clubs, jobs, etc….my life has just been crazy. I honestly forgot I'd even written Chapter 6. ^^" But anyway, here's chapter 6, and I hope you all enjoyed it! Emily and I both are working on other projects in addition to SOS – I have a cardverse PruHun in the works and Emily has a wide array of Spamano stuff and _Monster_ to work on – so updates are going to be very slow. We're really sorry but hopefully you all will stick around and bear with us! ~ Juliette (PurpleSkyJuliet)

**Lo siento! I'm so sorry! As my friend said, I've put too much I can handle on my plate...again. And I haven't updated _Monster _in forever OTL Truth be told I'm scared to. People complain about my lack of imagery...a lot. I suck with criticism so I'm scared shitless. Also, my mind isn't in the "PruHun state." I've been having my fun with Spamano, my OTP. I'm also secretary for the club I'm in, I'm on the tech crew for my school's play, and my Bat Mitzvah is coming up DX So don't murder either of us, OK? -Em (PrussiaPWNS)**

**P.S. YES. MY BAT MITZVAH. I AM THE MEAGER AGE OF TWELVE. LEAVE ME THE FUCK ALONE. OTL I feel so small compared to everyone else TT-TT **


	7. Authors' Note

**Hello, everyone. This is Juliette. Emily and I have decided to put the story on hiatus for now. We've been awfully busy, and need to work on setting up a clear outline for this story and finishing other projects we took on during less hectic times in our lives. Hopefully we'll be back fairly quickly, but we need to do a lot of work on this story and it will take a while, so even when we're back, updates may be sporadic unless we finish it and then post it. We'll just have to see what happens.**

**I'm currently posting a finished PruHun story entitled "The Joker Queen," so if you'd like to read another PruHun story, I'd love it if you gave my story a chance. **

**But thank you to everyone who has read this story and stuck with us through everything thus far. Hopefully we'll finish this someday soon. We're sorry that we have to take this hiatus, but hope you will come back when everything works out!**

**~Juliette**

**I think Juliette summed it up nicely, but I shall do some advertising as well!**

**On deviantART, I have started an Emmy-like award for Hetalia fan fiction. Here;s the link: http:/ hetaliaawards. deviantart ****.com/** **Check it out! It's still very under construction, so feel free to suggest stuff!**

**~Emily**


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